This invention relates to facsimile machines and, more particularly, to a facsimile printer broadcast exchange system for receiving a facsimile transmission over a telephone line from a facsimile device at a remote location directed to a telephone number with an extension number and for transmitting the facsimile transmission over a network to one of a plurality of printers associated with the extension number for printing thereby, comprising, data buffer means for receiving and holding digital data; interface means connected to the telephone line for removing and saving the extension number, for establishing and maintaining a bi-directional facsimile communications link with the facsimile device over the telephone line, for using the link to receive the transmission from the facsimile device, and for storing data of the transmission in the data buffer means; data transmission logic means for removing data from the data buffer means and for transmitting it to a network in packets addressed to the extension number; a plurality of remote printer units each containing, printer means for printing dot-oriented data on a printing medium, printer identification code means for associating an extension number identifier with the printer unit, interface means for interfacing with a network and the printer identification code means for receiving data from the network in packets having a receiver identifier which is the same as the extension number identifier of the printer unit, and printing logic means for receiving packets containing data from the interface means and for printing pixel data contained therein with the printer means; and, a network interconnecting the interface means of respective ones of the printer units and the data transmission logic means.
Except in the smallest organizations, the receipt of incoming facsimile transmissions is generally a problem. While the number of documents sent by facsimile grows by leaps and bounds every day, system approaches to handling the data flow have not kept up with the demand. The equipment is expensive to the point that it is not practical to have a facsimile machine at every secretarial desk, or even in every general locality where facsimile transmitted documents are received. Most larger organizations have one facsimile machine which is placed in a central location to serve a large user base. Unlike the copier machine and filing which can justify a full-time person to do the work in most cases, the facsimile machine tends to be an orphan as far as responsibility goes. No one wants to watch it for incoming documents and deliver the documents to their intended recipient. The attitude is usually one of "That's not my job." As a consequence, it is not at all uncommon for an important facsimile document (they generally would not have been "fax'd" if not important) to sit in the incoming document bin of the facsimile machine for hours, or even days, before someone blunders across it and has enough interest to see that it is delivered.
While these same companies usually have an elaborate switching telephone system allowing incoming calls to be switched to the desk of the called party, the facsimile hookup is a brute force arrangement as depicted in FIG. 1. The local facsimile machine 10 is connected to a dedicated telephone line 12 having its own telephone number. A remote facsimile machine 14 wishing to send a document 16 to the local machine 10 must dial the number associated with the telephone line 12 and then transmit the document 16 over the dedicated line 12 to the facsimile machine 14 where it is printed by a printer located therein to emerge as the facsimile document 16'.
A similar situation exists with respect to small users who do not wish to (or cannot afford to) invest in a facsimile machine for home use. This, of course, includes the ever-increasing number of employees working at home and self-employed persons working out of a home office. In addition to the cost of the equipment itself, there is also the problem of a second telephone line for the facsimile machine versus the purchase and use of single line switching apparatus which allows a single telephone line to receive both facsimile and voice transmissions. The installation of a second telephone line is costly. The single line switching apparatus, on the other hand, is obnoxious to persons making calls to the apparatus. Moreover, in virtually all cases, because of its method of operation the switching apparatus cannot have a facsimile machine and a telephone answering machine connected thereto at the same time. For the home business that relies on an answering machine instead of a secretary to answer the machine when the owner is out, such an arrangement is totally unacceptable.
Most, if not all, of the foregoing entities are connected to a network of some sort other than the telephone system. Many companies have a local area network (LAN) installed for use with their computer system. If nothing else, there is an AC power system that provides power throughout the building. Most homes that have a home business probably also have cable television with a cable that extends back to a central cable distribution office.
Wherefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a system for the receipt of facsimile transmissions which generally provides the same benefits as a switching telephone system by placing the receipt of incoming facsimile transmissions at, or at least near, the intended recipient at a cost which is not prohibitive to the installation of such a system.
It is another object of this invention to provide a system for receiving incoming facsimile transmissions at a central telephone number with a designated "extension" appended to the beginning of the transmission and for retransmitting the facsimile over a network to the designated recipient for local printing at the recipient's location.
Other objects and benefits of the invention will become apparent from the description which follows hereinafter when taken in conjunction with the drawing figures which accompany it.